The so-called "Johannine Comma" interrupts the flow of 1 John 5. This interruption is less apparent in Latin, the language in which the Comma was invented, than it is in Greek, where it is typically adopted in the form of a hybrid reading for 1 John 5:7-8. Specifically, this is a hybrid reading in that part of the verse couple is based on Latin, and part of the verse couple follows the original Greek. Even the Latin, however, involves multiple insertions into the text, at least one of which seems aimed at smoothing the flow.
Visualizing the Interruption in English
Let's look at the English text comparing 1 John 5:4-12 in the ASV (which does not include the interpolation) and the KJV (which includes the interpolation, which I've highlighted):
(ASV) 4 For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. 5 And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. 7 And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for the witness of God is this, that he hath borne witness concerning his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning his Son. 11 And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.
(KJV) 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
As you can see, the text of 1 John 5 is in the midst of discussing the Spirit, water, and blood, but the Johannine Comma bursts in to introduce the Father, Word, and Holy Ghost. While all three persons of the Trinity are being discussed in the context, all three of these terms to refer to the persons of the Trinity differ (in different ways) from the surrounding context:
- Father: in context the Father is referred to simply as God, or perhaps as "the Spirit". Jesus Christ is referred to as the "Son of God" here. John did refer to God the Father as "Father" earlier in the epistle, so it's not an entirely foreign title, it's just not a title used by John in this context.
- Word: in context the second person of the Trinity is referred to as Son, Jesus (with or without Christ), or the Christ. John did refer to the second person of the Trinity as "the Word" in John 1 and as "the word of Life" in 1 John 1:1, but John does not customarily refer to Jesus this way.
- Holy Ghost: John refers to the third person of the Trinity as the "Holy Ghost" in four places in his Gospel (John 1:33, John 7:39, John 14:26, and John 20:22). That's the same number of times that John uses "Comforter" to refer to the third person of the Trinity. On the other hand, just in 1 John, "Spirit" is used of the third person of the Trinity in 1 John 3:24, 1 John 4:2, and 1 John 4:13. I've omitted 1 John 5:6, because in this place "Spirit" may be a reference to the Father. Similarly in John's Gospel, the second person of the Trinity is referred to as "the Spirit" in John 1:32-33, 3:34, 7:39 and as the "Spirit of Truth" in John 14:17, 15:26, and 16:13. Likewise, I'm omitting from this list the references to being born of the Spirit in John 3:5-6 & 8.
I've provided appendices below regarding use of Father, Son, Ghost, and Spirit. Not only does the interpolation introduce contextually inappropriate terminology into the text, and breaks apart the discussion of the Spirit, water, and blood, it also introduces an odd testimonial problem.
Two or three witnesses is Old Testament precedent regarding reliable testimony.
Numbers 35:30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person [to cause him] to die.
Deuteronomy 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; [but] at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
This same precedent is referred to multiple times in the New Testament as well.
Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
2 Corinthians 13:1 This [is] the third [time] I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
1 Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Without the intrusion of the Comma, the text has three witnesses, as it says: "three who bear witness". However, with the intrusion of the Comma, the text seems to suggest six witnesses: three on earth and three in heaven, unless the two sets of three are taken to be the same three witnesses, or five witnesses if the Spirit is taken to be the same in the two lists.
The other oddity is that by making the Word one of the witnesses, the text would have Jesus testifying to himself being the Son of God. This would not align well with John 5:
John 5:31-32 and 36-38 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. ... 36 But I have greater witness than [that] of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
The Spirit, water, and blood easily align with this passage, particularly if the Spirit refers to the many miracles Jesus did, the water refers to the explicitly witness of God at Jesus' baptism, and the blood refers to the death, burial and resurrection by which God testified of Jesus implicitly. In this way, it is not Jesus testifying of himself, but receiving multiple testimony.
Visualizing the Interruption in Greek
Let's look at the Greek text comparing 1 John 5:4-12 in the NA28 (which does not include the interpolation) and Scrivener's TR (which includes the interpolation, which I've highlighted):
NA28 4 ὅτι πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον· καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον, ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν. 5 Τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ νικῶν τὸν κόσμον εἰ μὴ ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ; 6 οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι· καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ μαρτυροῦν, ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια. 7 ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες, 8 τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα, καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν. 9 εἰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνομεν, ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ μείζων ἐστίν· ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι μεμαρτύρηκεν περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. 10 ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἔχει τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἐν αὐτῷ, ὁ μὴ πιστεύων τῷ θεῷ ψεύστην πεποίηκεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἣν μεμαρτύρηκεν ὁ θεὸς περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. 11 καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία, ὅτι ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεός, καὶ αὕτη ἡ ζωὴ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. 12 ὁ ἔχων τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει τὴν ζωήν· ὁ μὴ ἔχων τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ζωὴν οὐκ ἔχει.
STR 4 οτι παν το γεγεννημενον εκ του θεου νικα τον κοσμον και αυτη εστιν η νικη η νικησασα τον κοσμον η πιστις ημων 5 τις εστιν ο νικων τον κοσμον ει μη ο πιστευων οτι ιησους εστιν ο υιος του θεου 6 ουτος εστιν ο ελθων δι υδατος και αιματος ιησους ο χριστος ουκ εν τω υδατι μονον αλλ εν τω υδατι και τω αιματι και το πνευμα εστιν το μαρτυρουν οτι το πνευμα εστιν η αληθεια 7 οτι τρεις εισιν οι μαρτυρουντες εν τω ουρανω ο πατηρ ο λογος και το αγιον πνευμα και ουτοι οι τρεις εν εισιν 8 και τρεις εισιν οι μαρτυρουντες εν τη γη το πνευμα και το υδωρ και το αιμα και οι τρεις εις το εν εισιν 9 ει την μαρτυριαν των ανθρωπων λαμβανομεν η μαρτυρια του θεου μειζων εστιν οτι αυτη εστιν η μαρτυρια του θεου ην μεμαρτυρηκεν περι του υιου αυτου 10 ο πιστευων εις τον υιον του θεου εχει την μαρτυριαν εν εαυτω ο μη πιστευων τω θεω ψευστην πεποιηκεν αυτον οτι ου πεπιστευκεν εις την μαρτυριαν ην μεμαρτυρηκεν ο θεος περι του υιου αυτου 11 και αυτη εστιν η μαρτυρια οτι ζωην αιωνιον εδωκεν ημιν ο θεος και αυτη η ζωη εν τω υιω αυτου εστιν 12 ο εχων τον υιον εχει την ζωην ο μη εχων τον υιον του θεου την ζωην ουκ εχει
As one might expect, there are aspects of the interruption that are slightly different in Greek than in English. "Holy Ghost" is more different sounding in English than "spirit" because "Ghost" and "Spirit" sound different, but the underlying Greek has "πνευμα" in both cases, the difference between the addition of "Holy" (αγιον). Likewise, "that bear record" and "that bear witness" are translating the identical Greek word (μαρτυρουντες). Nevertheless, the interruption is largely the same as to the length of the interruption and as to the introduction of the contextually superfluous "Holy," the switch from "Son" to "Word," and the gap introduced between the previous references to spirit, water, and blood and those in verse 8.
Visualizing the Interruption in Latin
Let's look at the Latin text comparing 1 John 5:5-8 in the tome of Leo (section 5) together with its ancient Greek translation and the shorter quotation in Ambrose, to the extant portion of the Comma text from its earliest witness, Priscillian, to Beza's Latin translation of Beza's Greek and Beza's report of the late Renaissance Vulgate Latin, to Victor of Vita's text, and finally to the Clementine Vulgate and Nova Vulgata of 1 John 5:4-12:
Quis est qui vincit mundum, nisi qui credit, quoniam Jesus est Filius Dei? Hic est qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Jesus Christus; non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et sanguine. Et spiritus est, qui testificatur, quoniam spiritus est veritas. Quia tres sunt, qui testimonium dant, spiritus, aqua, et sanguis, et tres unum sunt.
αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον, ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν· καὶ τίς ἐστιν, ὃς ἐνίκησε τὸν κόσμον, εἰ μὴ ὁ πιστεύων, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Ὑιὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ; οὗτος ὁ ἐρχόμενος δι᾽ ὕδατος, καὶ αἵματος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ὕδατι, καὶ αἵματι· καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστι τό μαρτυροῦν, ἐπειδὴ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια. Τρεῖς γάρ εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες, τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ οἱ τρεῖς τὸ ἔν εἰσι,
Ambrose (source) On the Holy Spirit, Book 3, Chapter 10:
Per aquam, inquit, et Spiritum venit Christus Jesus, non solum in aqua sed per aquam et sanguinem. Et spiritus testimonium dicit, quoniam Spiritus est veritas; quia tres sunt testes, Spiritus, aqua, sanguis: et hi tres unum sunt.
Priscillian (as provided here):
tria sunt quae testimonium dicunt in terra: aqua, caro et sanguis et haec tria in unum sunt, et tria sunt quae testimonium dicunt in caelo: pater, uerbum et spiritus et haec tria unum sunt in Christo Jesu.
Beza's Latin based on Beza's Greek (same post as above):
Nam tres sunt qui testificantur in caelo, Pater, Sermo, & Spiritus sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt. Et tres sunt qui testificantur in terra, Spiritus, et aqua, et sanguis: et hi tres unum sunt.
Latin Vulgate as reported by Beza (same post as above):
Quoniam tres sunt qui testimonium dant in caelo, Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt. Et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra, Spiritus, aqua, et sanguis: et hi tres unum sunt.
Victor of Vita's text (same post as above):
tres sunt qui testimonium perhibent in caelo, pater, uerbum et spiritus sanctus, et hi tres unum sunt.
Clementine Vulgate (source):
4 Quoniam omne, quod natum est ex Deo, vincit mundum: et hæc est victoria, quæ vincit mundum, fides nostra. 5 Quis est, qui vincit mundum, nisi qui credit quoniam Iesus est filius Dei? 6 hic est, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Iesus Christus: non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et sanguine. Et spiritus est, qui testificatur, quoniam Christus est veritas. 7 Quoniam tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in cælo: Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt. 8 Et tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in terra: Spiritus, et aqua, et sanguis: et hi tres unum sunt. 9 Si testimonium hominum accipimus, testimonium Dei maius est: quoniam hoc est testimonium Dei, quod maius est, quoniam testificatus est de Filio suo. 10 Qui credit in Filium Dei, habet testimonium Dei in se. Qui non credit Filio, mendacem facit eum: quia non credit in testimonium quod testificatus est Deus de Filio suo. 11 Et hoc est testimonium, quoniam vitam æternam dedit nobis Deus. Et hæc vita in Filio eius est. 12 Qui habet Filium, habet vitam: qui non habet Filium, vitam non habet.
Nova Vulgata (source):
4 quoniam omne, quod natum est ex Deo, vincit mundum; et haec est victoria, quae vicit mundum: fides nostra. 5 Quis est qui vincit mundum, nisi qui credit quoniam Iesus est Filius Dei? 6 Hic est, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Iesus Christus; non in aqua solum sed in aqua et in sanguine. Et Spiritus est, qui testificatur, quoniam Spiritus est veritas. 7 Quia tres sunt, qui testificantur: 8 Spiritus et aqua et sanguis; et hi tres in unum sunt. 9 Si testimonium hominum accipimus, testimonium Dei maius est, quoniam hoc est testimonium Dei, quia testificatus est de Filio suo. 10 Qui credit in Filium Dei, habet testimonium in se. Qui non credit Deo, mendacem facit eum, quoniam non credidit in testimonium, quod testificatus est Deus de Filio suo. 11 Et hoc est testimonium, quoniam vitam aeternam dedit nobis Deus, et haec vita in Filio eius est. 12 Qui habet Filium, habet vitam; qui non habet Filium Dei, vitam non habet.
You will notice that New Vulgate, like the Greek - and like Ambrose and Leo's Latin - flows smoothly without the interruption, while the Clementine Vulgate and other interpolated texts include the intrusion. It is interesting to note that Beza proposed "Sermo" not "Verbum" to translate the Greek. His reasons for such a translation are a mystery to me at this moment.
You may notice that Priscillian's text is the most odd - not only in that it places the earthly witnesses first, but that it also changes "spirit" to "flesh" and adds "in Christ Jesus" to the heavenly witnesses section. The Clementine Vulgate has its own oddity, in that it says not that the Spirit is truth, but that Christ is truth.
What is relatively smooth about the Clementine Vulgate text (and similarly in both of Beza's) is that "et hi tres unum sunt" is present in both sections, in contrast to Priscillian's which has "et haec tria in unum sunt" and "et haec tria unum sunt in Christo Jesu" and especially compared to Scrivener's TR, which has "και ουτοι οι τρεις εν εισιν" and "και οι τρεις εις το εν εισιν".
The reason for this last inconsistency is that the the TR text is an odd hybrid of the original Greek and a Greek translation of the Latin interpolation. For the former, "και οι τρεις εις το εν εισιν" stands as the original Greek, which was difficult to translate in a word-for-word way into Latin, leading to "et tres unum sunt" (and the three are one) or "et hi tres unum sunt" (and these three are one). However, back translating "et hi tres unum sunt" to Greek yields "και ουτοι οι τρεις εν εισιν". The reason for the non-parallel in the Greek of Scrivener's TR is, therefore, best explained by its hybrid origin.
The origin of the Latin is harder to be confident about. Based on the evidence we currently have, it looks as though the longer reading originates from Priscillianist circles with an oddly Gnostic/Docetic flavor: twisting the sense of the original by dividing fleshly from spiritual and making two sets of three rather than one.
A scribe reading a more accurate original and a Priscillianist copy might be tempted to try to incorporate the Priscillianist reading either directly or in the margin, and might not accept the "flesh" for "spirit" substitution proposed by the Priscillianist text because of the reading in his more faithful exemplar and because of the odd (to an orthodox scribe) switch to talking about flesh from talking about spirit. The scribe might also not accept the "in Christ Jesus" addition to the text, both because it was not present in his more faithful exemplar and because of its odd theological implication of (essentially) modalism.
Appendices
Uses of Father in 1 John:
[1Jo 1:2-3 KJV] – 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
[1Jo 2:1, 13, 15-16, 22-24 KJV] – 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ... 13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. ... 15 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ... 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also]. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
[1Jo 3:1 KJV] – 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
[1Jo 4:14 KJV] – 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.
Uses of "word or "Word" in 1 John:
[1Jo 1:1, 10 KJV] 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; ... 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
[1Jo 2:5, 7, 14 KJV] 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. ... 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. ... 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
[1Jo 3:18 KJV] 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
[1Jo 5:7 KJV] 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Uses of "Son" in 1 John:
[1Jo 1:3, 7 KJV] 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. ... 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
[1Jo 2:22-24 KJV] 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also]. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
[1Jo 3:8, 23 KJV] 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. ... 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
[1Jo 4:9-10, 14-15 KJV] 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. ... 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
[1Jo 5:5, 9-13, 20 KJV] 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? ... 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. ... 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Use of Ghost in 1 John:
The Comma is the only use of the English word "Ghost" in 1 John in the KJV.
Uses of Spirit/spirit in 1 John:
[1Jo 3:24 KJV] 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
[1Jo 4:1-3, 6, 13 KJV] 1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. ... 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. ... 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
[1Jo 5:6, 8 KJV] 6 This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. ... 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
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